Windows 11 needs a TPM. That’s the point
Windows 11’s strict hardware list annoyed many people. The TPM and Secure Boot requirements are real security gains.
Windows 11 came out this month, and its hardware requirements annoyed many people: TPM 2.0, Secure Boot and a fairly recent CPU. Plenty of good computers can’t upgrade.
The frustration is fair, but the reason is real. These parts let Windows turn on protections by default:
- TPM 2.0 keeps encryption keys in hardware, for BitLocker and Windows Hello.
- Secure Boot blocks malware that loads before Windows.
- Virtualisation-based security isolates sensitive parts of the system from the rest.
What I’d do:
- No rush to upgrade. Windows 10 is supported until October 2025.
- Check which machines qualify, and plan replacements for the rest over the next few years.
- Turn on BitLocker and Secure Boot on Windows 10 machines that support them, today.